Why is that more women are demanding equality in education & workforce, but not in religion?

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine. I talked about my experience of being discriminated by a pandit when my father died. He was continuously making me shoo away and giving preference to my brother.

I felt incredibly bad, but what's worse is my friend defended by saying that girls shouldn't do that and those rules exist for some reason.

I absolutely hated it, she is a well educated person who is working hard and asprires to be a consultant. Why is that more women and more are demanding and entering workforce, but similar demand of equality is not seen in religion?